Think Twice Before Saying “I Can Sleep When I Die”

You know you’ve been looking for an excuse to sleep more. You look hard for one when your friends are egging you on to go to the new 11 pm happy hour in your neighborhood, or when that one inexplicably perky friend tries to convince you that her 6 am Pilates class is, “So fun!” Oh, and when your mom wants to fly into town at 7 am in the morning. You want to tell these people, “I really need my sleep.” You do tell them, in fact. But they come back with, “Eh. You’re young. You’re healthy. You sleep enough” or “You can sleep when you’re dead.” Some just call you a big baby. But you know what? They’re wrong. Well, the ones who said you can sleep when you’re dead weren’t wrong, but sleep deprivation could be the reason you’re dead! Here are 15 scary consequences of sleep deprivation.

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It harms your memory

You know how, usually, repeating a task, or reading something a few times, helps you remember it? That won’t hold true if you’re sleep deprived, according to some studies.

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It affects your relationships

Studies have shown that irritability increases significantly in sleep-deprived individuals, to the point where they’ll pick arguments over issues they normally wouldn’t.

An increase in heart problems

Trouble seeing

Have you ever gotten on the road after a poor night’s sleep and felt like it was unsafe to drive? You may have been right–not getting enough sleep has been linked to blurry vision and double vision.

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Migraines

A majority of people who suffer from migraines point to sleepless nights as a trigger for them.

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Poor decision-making

Sleep deprivation has been linked to an inability to control one’s impulses. That could be why many doctors advise you not to make major decisions on medications that make you feel tired.

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Weight gain

Not sleeping enough can throw off your hormones. The particular hormonal imbalance that results can cause an increase in fatty food cravings.

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A low libido

You have to get enough sleep to produce enough testosterone—the hormone that makes your horny. So maybe…don’t stay up all night having sex?

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An increased risk of Hepatitis A

Not sleeping won’t put you in contact with the virus, but it will make the vaccine for it less effective. Research has shown that the Hep. A vaccine can be twice as effective in people who sleep enough than in those who don’t.

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An increase in digestive problems

Not sleeping enough can increase one’s chances of developing inflammatory bowel disease. For those who already suffer from the condition, sleep deprivation can make the symptoms much worse.

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Risk taking

Some research has found that losing even one night of sleep can turn you into a risk taker. One study found that people who skipped a night of sleep would make different decisions for their investment portfolios, focusing more on increasing gains than preventing losses.

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Delayed reactions

Sleep deprivation can affect things like athletic performance and driving, too, because it can lead to delayed reactions, according to some sports studies.

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An increased risk of diabetes

Any habit that disrupts your metabolism can put you at risk of an insulin resistance, which can increase your chances of developing diabetes. Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on your metabolism.

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Breast and colon cancer

Some research into the link between sleep deprivation and cancer is suggesting that not sleeping enough can increase one’s chances of breast or colon cancer.

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Depression

You probably knew that sleep deprivation could cause depression, but maybe you didn’t know just how serious it was. Some studies have found that one poor night’s sleep can affect someone’s mood more than a loss of income.